Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 May 2019
244. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has given further consideration to the consolidation of road traffic legislation; his plans to proceed with proposed legislation to curb excessive speed on roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21024/19]
View answerMy priorities in respect of road traffic legislation have been focused on legislation which is immediately needed. In that context, my Department is currently working on a Road Traffic Bill to provide, in the main, for graduated penalties for speeding offences.
The Government is still considering proposals which I have put forward for the introduction of graduated speeding penalties. Speeding is one of the most dangerous behaviours on our roads and it is clear that further measures are needed to tackle it. I believe that a graduated system of penalties, which would reflect the level of speeding in the level of consequence – much as we already do for levels of alcohol - is the right approach to take.
While not a priority at this time, the consolidation of the Road Traffic Acts must not simply be a matter of re-enacting all current road traffic legislation into one instrument. The benefits of consolidation are too often misunderstood and over-stated. If the project is to be of value, it will be necessary to examine each aspect of the legislation and see where it might be improved upon. Such a project, done properly, could take up to three years to complete.
There is no indication of any failure of prosecutions due to a lack of consolidation, never mind the significant problem which would need to exist to justify diverting resources from more urgent tasks to consolidation at this time. Any decision to undertake such a project in the future will have to be balanced against the value added and the risks associated with undermining the extensive legal precedents established to date. Indeed, I understand that recent significant precedents in court decisions would suggest that consolidation should not be undertaken at this time.
